Ithaa, the world's first undersea restaurant, opened in Male some time ago. (The celebrated Al Mahara at the Burj al Arab in Dubai is sometimes erroneously accorded that respect, but has only an aquarium.) Located six meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean, the restaurant is enclosed in clear acrylic, allowing a diner to get a 180 degree view of life under water.
The restaurant was designed in New Zealand, constructed in Singapore using materials from the US, and then shipped to the Maldives. Obviously, dining in it comprises as much a brush with fabulous design possibilities as with fabulous food.
While Ithaa is exceptional, it probably is also reflective of a trend in many capitals of the world where the clich
